(Lexington, KY) – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Pam Walker as Director of Government Affairs. In this newly created position, Pam will be responsible for developing and directing the association’s government affairs activities and advocacy to advance NASCIO’s strategic policy agenda. This role will include ensuring the perspectives of state CIO’s views are represented in the shaping of federal legislation and policies, working with state and federal lawmakers on key state IT issues and continued alliance building with strategic partners.

“This important announcement is the outcome of many months of serious deliberation by NASCIO’s leadership and we are very excited to welcome Pam Walker as the Director of Government Affairs”, said Gopal Khanna, Minnesota CIO and NASCIO President. “She brings a great deal of experience to the association and to the new DC office. Pam will work closely with Doug Robinson, NASCIO’s Executive Director, to develop and direct our advocacy agenda.”

Because of her knowledge of state government, Pam is well qualified to serve NASCIO and its members. Her experience includes over twelve years in high-profile government affairs positions including most recently as Senior Director of Government Affairs for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and Legislative Researcher with Billtrack, Congressional Quarterly. Pam has a M.A. in International Transactions and a B.A. in International Studies from George Mason University.

“Moving from part time to full time representation in Washington was a key goal established by the officers. Adding Pam as our full time representative in Washington will improve our visibility and effectiveness on issues of importance to state chief information officers. Pam is a great addition to our team and I look forward to her contributions.” said John Gillispie Iowa CIO and NASCIO past President.

Pam will be located in NASCIO’s new Washington DC office at the Hall of States, 444 North Capitol Ave, NW Suite 642, Washington, DC 20001. She can be reached at pwalker@amrms.com.

First Family pets get in the Halloween spirit, Friday, Oct. 17, 2008, in a portrait on the Blue Room balcony on the south side of the White House. From left are Miss Beazley, Willie the cat, and Barney. The dogs are Scottish Terriers. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have young and young at heart take a more light-spirited approach. They don scary disguises or ones that may bring on smiles when they go door to door for treats, or attend or host a Halloween party.

Trick or Treat!

36 million
The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2007 — children 5 to 13 — across the United States. This number is down about 38,000 from a year earlier. Of course, many other children — older than 13, and younger than 5 — also go trick-or-treating.
Source: Population estimates

1.1 billion pounds
Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2007. Illinois led the country by producing 542 million pounds of the vined orange gourd. Pumpkin patches in California, New York and Ohio also provided lots of pumpkins: Each state produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $117 million.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Where to Spend Halloween?

Some places around the country that may put you in the Halloween mood are:
Transylvania County, N.C. (29,984 residents). Source: Population estimates 2007

RuleBurst Holdings Limited, the parent company of Haley Limited (Haley), a leading provider of policy modeling and automation software for legislative and regulated industries such as public sector, financial services and insurance. The transaction is subject to stockholder and governmental approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2009. Until the deal closes, each company will continue to operate independently.

Haley has over 20 years experience in delivering complex policy automation software for industries that are a focus for Oracle, including public sector, financial services and insurance. Haley’s leading applications empower business users to translate legislation and policy into automated business rules using natural language to enable self-service, automate advice, ensure compliance and mitigate risk for policies enterprise wide.

The combination of Haley’s products with Oracle’s ERP, Siebel CRM, and Oracle’s industry applications is expected to create the first packaged software solution for social services agencies with an enhanced case management application utilizing Haley to drive eligibility determinations. Financial services customers are expected to more effectively manage the business rules that govern trading, lending, underwriting, claims, origination and fraud prevention. Insurance customers are expected to be able to optimize complex underwriting through multi-variable “what-if” capabilities, apply business logic to highlight high-risk claims and make improved claim adjustments.

One of the big parts of the ACT/IAC’s annual Executive Leadership Conference is the awarding of the annual Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership Award, the highest tribute that ACT/IAC can bestow on a member of the government IT community.

The actual award was a funny experience. ACT/IAC had given out all of its awards — read all the winners after the break — and the Mendenhall award is the big one of the evening. The late Mendenhall was a long-time GSA leader. I knew her in passing, but she is still well respected — even years later. And the Mendenhall award is one of the highlights of the Executive Leadership Conference each year. And last year’s winner, Ellen Glover, had very nice words to say about Lee.

Dee Lee has a distinguished 30-year government career serving in a wide range of political and career positions and agencies. Throughout her career, she has led by example, thus serving as a role model, mentor, and source of inspiration to other rising stars among the ranks of government and industry. A “straight shooter,” Dee has engendered the respect of both industry and government colleagues by going “above and beyond” to make a difference to others. She has a passion for government, government acquisition and excellence as illustrated by her government career which includes the positions of director of management and chief acquisition officer for FEMA, assistant commissioner of integrated technology services for GSA’s FAS, and director of defense procurement and acquisition policy at DOD.

And when they called Lee to the stage, everybody was on their feet giving a standing ovation. Fortunately or unfortunately, Lee didn’t know she was the winner, so she had gone to her room to work on a presentation she was giving later on in the week.

They ended up giving out the award to Lee on Tuesday morning.

The photo is of the previous Mendenhall award winners who were at ELC holding Lee’s award.

Lee is beyond well respected having served a distinguished government career. After the break, I will post the full ACT/IAC release, but… soon after Lee retired, I wrote FCW’s editorial praising Lee.

As we all know, leadership doesn’t depend solely on one’s title. True leaders are beacons no matter what position they hold, and that has always been the case with Lee. She also is universally liked and respected, which puts her in a small club these days.

Lee is one of those rare people who can build consensus and be forceful at the same time. She listens, yet she manages to keep the ball moving down the field. She has always looked out for what was best for the agency, the government and the citizens of the country for whom she worked.

After that, I got a note from another well-respected fed who has worked in government procurement:

You all know Deidre Lee, or Dee, and I am sure you all know her history as the head of NASA Procurement, where I first met her, then, head of all DOD procurement, then the head of all federal government procurement policy as the Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at OMB, then at GSA as an Assistant Commissioner in the old Federal Technology Service, and last as the Director of Management and Chief Acquisition Officer at FEMA within DHS. Dee has not only been an exceptional leader in all of her jobs, but she has been a great voice for the acquisition community everywhere she has been. She is well-liked and respected by everyone who knows her and by thousands more who have not had the specific pleasure yet of getting to know her. I don’t expect to see another person ever who will have been a leader at NASA, DOD, GSA, DHS, and a political appointee leader of OFPP, with a comet’s trail of successful experiences, and the government, the taxpayers, her employees and co-workers are so much better simply because of Dee.